Revealing structure-function relationships in functional flow networks via persistent homology

Abstract

Complex networks encountered in biology are often characterized by significant structural diversity. Whether due to differences in the three-dimensional structure of allosteric proteins, or the variation among the microscale structures of organisms' cerebral vasculature systems, identifying relationships between structure and function often poses a difficult challenge. Here we showcase an approach to characterizing structure-function relationships in complex networks applied in the context of flow networks tuned to perform specific functions. Using persistent homology, we analyze flow networks tuned to perform complex multifunctional tasks, answering the question of how local changes in the network structure coordinate to create functionality at the scale of the entire network. We find that the response of such networks encodes hidden topological features—sectors of uniform pressure—that are not apparent in the underlying network architectures. Regardless of differences in local connectivity, these features provide a universal topological description for all networks that perform these types of functions. We show that these features correlate strongly with the tuned response, providing a clear topological relationship between structure and function and structural insight into the limits of multifunctionality.